Between President’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and now Valentine’s Day (and looking forward to St. Patrick’s Day, Passover, and Easter) – we are in that time of year where there is a holiday at every turn. Valentine’s Day is represented by hearts, obviously this is not news… but did you know that the heart is actually a muscle? It’s a muscle that needs specific training to increase health and longevity and improve circulation. A strong healthy heart is arguably the key to living longer – clearly you won’t make it very far withOUT a healthy heart!
Here are 3 things you may not know that you should know about the heart:
- An adult’s heart beats about 100,000 times per day, every day. Do the math, and that’s at least one beat every second, or 60 to 100 times a minute, according to the American Heart Association. For people whose heart rate is closer to 60 beats per minute (bpm), that’s about 86,000 times a day. And it’s 144,000 times a day if your heart rate is closer to 100 bpm. If a muscle works THAT hard every single day, it’s a good idea to keep it healthy and strong!
- Your activity level is the greatest potential risk factor (or risk mitigator) for heart disease. People with low fitness levels have double the risk of heart disease as their more active counterparts. Did you read that right?? You DOUBLE your risk of heart disease if you are inactive!! The AHA recommends logging at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, or a combination of the two, every week. The good news is, “whether you’re on the treadmill, in the weight room, or in a yoga studio, your heart benefits from every type of activity,” says James Beckerman, MD, director of the Center for Prevention and Wellness at the Providence Heart and Vascular Institute in Portland, Oregon, and author of Heart to Start (2015). And 80 percent of heart disease is preventable with healthy lifestyle choices and management of risk factors, he adds. Other ways to lower heart disease risk include quitting smoking, controlling cholesterol, eating better, managing blood pressure, losing weight, and reducing blood sugar, according to the AHA.
- Your heart is one giant pump. Every minute, your heart pumps about five quarts of blood through a system of blood vessels that’s over 60,000 miles long. How far is 60,000 miles? The earth’s circumference at the equator is just under 25,000 miles. That means that every minute of the day (and there are 1,440 minutes in the day, mind you) your heart pumps enough blood through your system to circle the earth nearly two and a half times. That is one powerful pump!
Now that you’ve learned some fun facts about the heart, you can enjoy your Valentine’s Day in a whole new way! Are you ready to start improving your heart health to increase your longevity? Receive personalized fitness plans to suit your body and lifestyle so that you can live life without limitation! For more information on how to obtain your goals while tracking your fitness, contact Genesis Performance & Fitness, located in Thousand Oaks, California.
